If you have a love for travelling and teaching, then teaching English as a foreign language in another country might just be the best career choice for you!

Our TEFL courses at The TEFL Academy in Chicago can bring about the career change you are looking for. We have a Combined Level 5 TEFL Courses (168 hours). The best part? Some of the course can be finished over a weekend. All it takes is 20 hours, where you will be taught by our top-notch TEFL professionals at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Chicago. The remaining part of the TEFL course can be completed online, where our team of professionals will be available to tend to any questions or concerns you might have.

During the first phase in Chicago, you will not only learn how to put together and create a lesson plan, but you will be taught how to teach it as well. Teaching is integral to our program, and we want you to experience first-hand how this can truly be a life changing experience.

You can decide the pace at which you would like to complete your 148 hours of online study. You may wish to complete them over a couple weeks or over a six-month period. Whatever you decide, we want you to choose what is best for you. The online TEFL course will teach vocabulary and grammar.

What can you look forward to upon completing the TEFL course? A Level 5 TEFL Certificate (168 hours) that is internationally recognized and DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body. Our course is regulated by Ofqual (UK goverment department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government recognized awarding body. You can then begin to search for jobs abroad, which can be found on our TEFL Jobs Board. We also offer you the opportunity to specialize in your chosen field of teaching English. All enrolments on our level 5 course include a free top-up course in Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Business English or Teaching Online & 1:1. You will be provided with a unique discount code with your booking confirmation email which can be redeemed against your chosen course.

If you are looking for a rewarding job which will offer good pay and a chance to see the world, then you have come to the right place. You can reserve your spot in Chicago today with only an $80 deposit. Deposits are only accepted for courses more than 2 weeks away, your online course will be available as soon as you have paid the balance in full.

“Our course has been approved by the DEAC, a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body.”

Day 2 (9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

“Our course has been approved by the DEAC, a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body.”

Online Course (Instant access on enrollment)

The online course consists of ten mandatory units. All ten units are exam-assessed and for units 5, 7 and 10 there are also coursework-assessed assignments. You get 6-months access to the course, but some students complete their qualification within 4 - 6 weeks (when studied full time).

Using Resources Effectively when Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Case Study, CV and Cover Letter, Job Sites and Resources

With so much choice and such a vast amount of conflicting information available on the Internet it can be difficult for potential TEFL course students to make the correct choice. The minimum standard for most entry-level teaching positions is a 120-Hour TEFL Certificate, however to ensure our students can access the best global opportunities our course leads to a Level 5 TEFL Certificate (168 hours). Our Level 5 TEFL Course is DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body. Our course is regulated by Ofqual (UK government department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government recognized awarding body.

You will see many courses available that are shorter than 120-hours, these options are TEFL taster courses and will not be accepted by most employers.

Career opportunities

With 1.5 billion people wanting to learn English right now the career opportunities are endless! Once you have completed the course you will be qualified to teach English internationally.

You will be qualified to teach:

Children

Young Adults

Adults

In a range of educational settings such as:

Schools

Universities/Colleges

Private English Language Schools

Business/Corporate English

Private One-to-One Tuition

“Our course has been approved by the DEAC, a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body.”

Thomas Tischler, TEFL Trainer

Thomas Tischler comes to Westcliff University with a BA in Spanish, TESOL Certification, and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and over 7 years of experience teaching and coaching in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

He has experience with training teachers both formally and informally, and he has worked with students at every level from pre-school to university and beyond. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, where he is an Adult Educator and TOEFL Prep Instructor for the City Colleges of Chicago. When he is not in the classroom, you can find him watching a Bears, Hawks, Sox, or Bulls game and/or running or biking along the lakefront.

"I have have worked with students at every level from pre-school to university and beyond"

If you have a love for travelling and teaching, then teaching English as a foreign language in another country might just be the best career choice for you!

Our TEFL courses at The TEFL Academy in Chicago can bring about the career change you are looking for. We have a Combined Level 5 TEFL Courses (168 hours). The best part? Some of the course can be finished over a weekend. All it takes is 20 hours, where you will be taught by our top-notch TEFL professionals at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Chicago. The remaining part of the TEFL course can be completed online, where our team of professionals will be available to tend to any questions or concerns you might have.

During the first phase in Chicago, you will not only learn how to put together and create a lesson plan, but you will be taught how to teach it as well. Teaching is integral to our program, and we want you to experience first-hand how this can truly be a life changing experience.

You can decide the pace at which you would like to complete your 148 hours of online study. You may wish to complete them over a couple weeks or over a six-month period. Whatever you decide, we want you to choose what is best for you. The online TEFL course will teach vocabulary and grammar.

What can you look forward to upon completing the TEFL course? A Level 5 TEFL Certificate (168 hours) that is internationally recognized and DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body. Our course is regulated by Ofqual (UK goverment department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government recognized awarding body. You can then begin to search for jobs abroad, which can be found on our TEFL Jobs Board. We also offer you the opportunity to specialize in your chosen field of teaching English. All enrolments on our level 5 course include a free top-up course in Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Business English or Teaching Online & 1:1. You will be provided with a unique discount code with your booking confirmation email which can be redeemed against your chosen course.

If you are looking for a rewarding job which will offer good pay and a chance to see the world, then you have come to the right place. You can reserve your spot in Chicago today with only an $80 deposit. Deposits are only accepted for courses more than 2 weeks away, your online course will be available as soon as you have paid the balance in full.

Day 2 (9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

Online Course (Instant access on enrollment)

The online course consists of ten mandatory units. All ten units are exam-assessed and for units 5, 7 and 10 there are also coursework-assessed assignments. You get 6-months access to the course, but some students complete their qualification within 4 - 6 weeks (when studied full time).

With so much choice and such a vast amount of conflicting information available on the Internet it can be difficult for potential TEFL course students to make the correct choice. The minimum standard for most entry-level teaching positions is a 120-Hour TEFL Certificate, however to ensure our students can access the best global opportunities our course leads to a Level 5 TEFL Certificate (168 hours). Our Level 5 TEFL Course is DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education recognized awarding body. Our course is regulated by Ofqual (UK government department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government recognized awarding body.

You will see many courses available that are shorter than 120-hours, these options are TEFL taster courses and will not be accepted by most employers.

Career opportunities

With 1.5 billion people wanting to learn English right now the career opportunities are endless! Once you have completed the course you will be qualified to teach English internationally.

Thomas Tischler, TEFL Trainer

Thomas Tischler comes to Westcliff University with a BA in Spanish, TESOL Certification, and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and over 7 years of experience teaching and coaching in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

He has experience with training teachers both formally and informally, and he has worked with students at every level from pre-school to university and beyond. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, where he is an Adult Educator and TOEFL Prep Instructor for the City Colleges of Chicago. When he is not in the classroom, you can find him watching a Bears, Hawks, Sox, or Bulls game and/or running or biking along the lakefront.

"I have have worked with students at every level from pre-school to university and beyond"

Accreditation FAQ

Is the course accredited?

Our Level 5 TEFL Course is DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education recognised awarding body. Our course is regulated by Ofqual (UK government department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government recognised awarding body.

Who are the DEAC?

The Distance Education Accrediting Commission was founded in 1926 and is a U.S. Department of Education recognised awarding body. DEAC's goal is to ensure a high standard of educational quality in the distance education institutions it approves by requiring compliance with its published standards, policies and procedures.

Who are Qualifi?

The TEFL Academy is fully accredited by Qualifi an Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, a UK government department) regulated awarding body. Qualifi have robust quality assurance systems and procedures in place which all course providers must successfully pass in order to be accredited under the scheme.

Potential TEFL course students should remember that their prospective employers are likely to be based outside the USA. This means that accreditation bodies based solely in the USA may not be recognized by employers abroad. This is why The TEFL Academy has chosen Qualifi, as they offer international accreditation for training course providers.

Who are Ofqual?

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.

Ofqual is a non-ministerial UK government department.

You can verify our qualification on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications here.

Ofqual recognize Awarding Organisations like Qualifi and regulate qualifications like ours. An Ofqual regulated TEFL qualification will be recognized worldwide and is highly respected by employers.

What is a Level 5 qualification?

A regulated level 5 qualification means that Ofqual (UK government), have approved the qualification to be an equal level of achievement to other qualifications at the same level. Our Level 5 TEFL Certificate (168hrs) is equal to the following American qualifications: an associate degree, a foundation degree, 2 years at university and the CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL qualifications.

What does "regulated" mean?

A regulated qualification means that it is officially recognized by government and sits on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications. You can view our qualification on the Ofqual register here.

What benefits does studying a regulated qualification offer learners?

Choosing to study a regulated qualification is your guarantee of quality. Course providers offering regulated qualifications must comply with very tough quality assurance rules and procedures. This ensures that:

The staff delivering and assisting students are suitably qualified

The course provider has the resources to effectively deliver the qualification

The course itself effectively teaches and assesses the qualifications aims

The contents of the course have been written and designed by industry professionals and peer reviewed

The feedback and grades given to learners is fair, moderated and meets modern academic standards

Officially regulated by the UK government, therefore the qualification will be internationally recognized by schools, employers, foreign embassies and governments of most other countries.

How do I know if a qualification is regulated?

Any qualification that is officially recognized by the UK government will sit on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications. Make sure to ask your course provider to provide a link to the register for their qualification.

You can view our qualification on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications here.

What's the difference between TEFL and TESOL?

TEFL and TESOL are both acronyms for teaching English to non-native English speakers. Both acronyms can be used to describe qualifications which certify you to teach English as a foreign language. To a large extent, "TEFL" and "TESOL" are used interchangeably.

TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Are cheap TEFL courses on daily deal websites like Groupon and Amazon too good to be true?

Offering a high quality TEFL course that provides students with qualified tutors and leads to a government regulated qualification doesn't come cheap! Course providers selling on daily deal websites must heavily discount their course fees and then split what they make 50/50 with the deal portal such as Groupon, Wowcher & Amazon.

With such small revenues it’s impossible for TEFL course providers selling on daily deal websites to:

Offer on-going support from experienced & qualified tutors

Have fair & moderated marking/grading systems

Develop and continually update quality course content & resources

Offer a course that leads to a government regulated qualification

Offer job support and on-going assistance after course completion

TEFL courses sold on daily deal websites are unregulated, unaccredited, lack academic credibility and will not be respected by employers.

Is a level 5 course always a level 5 course?

You may see cheap TEFL courses advertised online that claim to be a “level”, such as “Level 5 140-Hour TEFL Course” (often advertised on daily deal websites), unfortunately these courses are not the level they claim to be and are highly misleading.

The level of a course tells learners where the qualification sits on the UK’s Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). If a course is not listed on the Register of Regulated Qualifications, then it is not really a level at all. You can find our qualification on the register here.

Make sure you ask any TEFL training provider that claims to be offering a “level” of TEFL course to provide a link to the Register of Regulated Qualifications. If they cannot provide this, then the qualification is not the level they claim it to be and will not be accepted by foreign embassies and employers.

Your TEFL journey starts here! Fancy teaching English as a foreign language around the world?

Great! You’re in the right place. The TEFL Academy provides the very best in accredited TEFL courses, meaning your qualification is recognized throughout the world . The TEFL Academy is the world's leading TEFL course provider. We can help you acquire the skills needed to teach English as a foreign language, whether it be through our specialist online TEFL course or our combined TEFL course. Unsure which is the best TEFL option for you? See our TEFL courses compared page for an instant breakdown of course specifics.

Michael Brigham Olson

A. Our teacher did an amazing job of keeping the class interesting, and I really learned a lot during this time together.

Q. How satisfied were you with your TEFL Tutor?

A. He was always on task, and made the course interesting and fun. He never lost his energy during the entire weekend.

Rating

Kenneth Zimny

Q. How satisfied were you with the classroom element of the course?

A. Overall I was extremely satisfied with the course. However, this question is rather vague and I am not sure what is meant by "classroom element".

Q. How satisfied were you with your TEFL tutor?

A. Thomas was a fantastic instructor. He has a great understanding of the material and is a great instructor. He really made the days fun, enjoyable, and memorable. If not for him, I am not sure how excited I would be able teaching English.

Rating

Ekaterina Koide

Q. How satisfied were you with the classroom element of the course?

A. Our teacher - Mark - prepared an excellent professional course. The balance of individual work, group work and lector's explanations was perfect. Our teacher managed to create a friendly and effective working atmosphere and to maintain it for both days of the training. I learned a lot of new useful methods of language teaching, many great hints. Teacher's feedback after our teaching practice was positive, supportive and very useful. Course's location and setting was well-thought. Group's size felt just right for our purposes.

Q. How satisfied were you with your TEFL tutor?

A. Mark is a highly professional and friendly tutor. The course itself and the way it was presented by Mark were great examples of how teaching has to be done.

Rating

Lauren Infusino

Q. How satisfied were you with the classroom element of the course?

A. While I was already familiar with the majority of the class material, I definitely learned about useful tips, activities, and resources for TEFL teachers. The instructor, Kelly made sure the class was interesting and relevant to the students in attendance.

Q. How satisfied were you with your TEFL Tutor?

A. Kelly was professional, she created a comfortable learning environment for her students, and she made sure to focus on keeping students engaged and on teaching relevant information.

Rating

Alice Hunn

Q. How satisfied you were with the classroom element of the course?

A. The teacher was fantastic. She was really good and putting you at ease and I loved her style of teaching. She made you feel confident and comfortable in the classroom.

Q. How satisfied you were with your TEFL Tutor?

A. Our teacher, Liz, was fantastic. She instantly made you feel comfortable and she gave us so many tips on how to teach. I found her really inspiring! I felt I learnt more than I ever have from any teacher in such a short period of time. She was amazing!

Rating

Emma Williams

Q. How satisfied were you with the classroom element of the course?

A. The course leader, Liz, was excellent. She provided thorough information and made everyone feel comfortable in the room within minutes or arriving. I learnt an amazing amount within 2 days and my confidence grew hugely.

Q. How satisfied you were with your TEFL Tutor?

A. Liz was entertaining and interesting to listen to. She was always positive and brought the group up when they needed to be given some motivation.

Rating

Faye Mills

Q. How satisfied were you with the classroom element of the course?

A. It was a very enjoyable experience. I feel that I have learned a lot, I met wonderful people and our tutor was a very warm and gentle person.

Q. How satisfied were you with your TEFL Tutor?

A. The teacher, Harvey, was welcoming, well prepared, upbeat, helpful and approachable. He was prompt with timings and managed student expectations well. The course content was very useful to help gain understanding of what eventualities to expect in the wider world of TEFL; Harvey's delivery of the course was pitched perfectly to the group. Harvey was particularly encouraging to our enthusiasm for fulfilling our dreams whilst also informing us of realistic expectations. A very patient but equally firmly standing knowledgeable teacher. This was a memorable course I shall not forget!

In regards to Think Talent, we are an information consulting company which is focused on introducing ESL teachers to schools all around China as well as help teachers explore Chinese culture outside the walls of the classroom.

EF English First is the world's leading privately owned education company. We have vacancies for teaching positions in both Kids & Teens schools and Adult schools across China so if you prefer the fast paced city life like Shanghai, or want to be immersed in the more traditional